Risk Factors

Unsupervised Internet Access

One of the greatest tools that traffickers have at their disposal is use of the internet and social media. Traffickers are able to engage with potential victims via chatrooms, popular social networking sites, and messaging apps. Traffickers can use these as a means to contact, groom, and coerce their victims.

Proximity to Truck Stops

Trucking routes are often identified as “hot spots” for trafficking. Interstate 5, a major trucking route, cuts through the heart of Siskiyou County. Many truck stops are not monitored specifically for trafficking, and buyers have little to fear from law enforcement or their fellow truckers.

High Transit Areas

Interstate 5 is a significant thoroughfare and trafficking route for people, including traffickers, traveling up and down the West Coast. Many traffickers are constantly moving their victims to new areas to increase access to buyers and to avoid intervention by law enforcement.

Homeless Youth Culture

According to www.kidsdata.org, 4.7% of children attending public school in Siskiyou County are homeless. Many children who face residential instability or run away from home end up living with other youth. Homeless youth are easy targets for traffickers, and may engage in prostitution in exchange for their basic needs such as food, shelter, drugs, etc.